Farmer Welfare Grant
Defra are launching a Farmer Welfare Grant with a total value of £1.5m which will run from November 2026 to March 2029 for projects which support the mental health and wellbeing of those in the agricultural industry. The funding is intended to help rural and agricultural charities and organisations deliver practical support that strengthens both personal and business resilience across the sector.
- Opening date:
- Closing date: (Midday)
Contents
Summary
Background
Agriculture is a difficult and demanding industry and the stress factors vary by sector. Results from the ‘Big Farming Survey’ (2021) conducted by the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution show a clear link between the physical and mental health of farming people and the health of the farm business. Farmers who believed the prospects for their farming business were poor were more likely to suffer from poor mental health and anxiety. The survey found that farmers and land managers have higher levels of mental ill-health than the population average, with over half of the farming community thought to be experiencing anxiety and 30% possibly or probably depressed.
Alongside this, there is evidence to show that demands on farmer welfare charities have been increasing. It is important that Defra continues to work in partnership with agriculture welfare charities and other support organisations to ensure agricultural workers have ongoing access to trusted support groups and their resources.
Scope/Aim
This funding will support targeted interventions to strengthen personal and business resilience in the agricultural sector. We are aiming to fund projects that focus on improving agriculture workers’ mental health and welfare and reach more farmers and farming families who need support. We want grant recipients to develop support that responds to the specific needs of farming communities. For this reason, we are not prescribing the types of activities or approaches applicants should propose.
Eligibility
To support the work of English charities and/or third sector not for-profit organisations to deliver work to support farmer health and welfare. These could be organisations that work with members of the farming community directly (engagement/outreach) or provide information/online services to help farmers access further tailored support. Both larger/national as well as smaller/regional organisations are eligible to apply.
Any English charitable and/or third sector not for profit organisation that believes they can deliver a suitable project that meets the technical criteria is able to apply for the funding.
Objectives
Our grant objectives include:
Increased access to mental health support for agricultural workers.
Increased uptake of agriculture-specific mental health support.
Increased access to business resilience support in the agricultural community.
We acknowledge that whilst there are some stressors that impact the industry as a whole, each region and industry will face their own unique challenges. Therefore, we are not being prescriptive as to the types of interventions applicants must deliver. Priority themes that would be particularly welcomed are:
Tackling isolation and reaching those who are less likely to access or benefit from other support.
Early intervention and prevention (supporting resilience before issues escalate into crisis).
Reducing stigma surrounding mental health issues and accessing support.
Remove barriers to accessing personal and business resilience support.
Integration between farm safety, physical health, mental health, and business resilience.
Suicide prevention.
Supporting people who work with farmers (intermediaries, allied industries), as well as farmers’ families and support networks.
Engaging young farmers so they remain connected to strong rural communities over the long term.
Supporting culture, local identity and social connection.
Business resilience advice and support (e.g. succession planning, change management, and leaving the industry).
Support that builds skills, confidence and capacity within individuals and farming communities.
Dates
Invitation to Apply (ITA) Open – 6th August 2026 at 4pm
Deadline for clarification questions from Applicants – 28th August 2026 at 5pm
Deadline for application submission – 9th September 2026 at 12pm (midday)
Evaluation of Applications – 15th September 2026 – 25th September 2026
Notification Letters Issued – 14th October 2026
How to apply
Apply via Defra e-Sourcing platform: Welcome